Sometimes it is your first Rodeo

Advertising does work. After hearing and seeing Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo ads, I decided it would be a great experience for the kids as they have not been introduced to the rodeo environment. Wendy wouldn’t make the trip as she was on a girl’s trip, so this would be a solo adventure. Risky to put it mildly with Drew and trying to sit through a 2.5 hour rodeo, but I was up for it.

If I was going to do it, we were going to do it right. Boots and pearl snap shirts were required. Add a big belt buckle, boots for Drew and Claire, as well as a few bedazzled jewels for Claire’s shirt and we were all set. All that was left was mentally preparing and pulling out every trick in the book to keep him in his seat.

Immediately upon entry into the arena, Claire informed me that it stunk and that she didn’t want to go in. Being that is wasn’t my first rodeo, pun intended, I quickly responded that she would get used to the smell. She didn’t care. After we found our seats, it was sold out, we were saddled up.

Here are a few items that really impressed me about the PRCA rodeo…

Announcer
We didn’t buy a schedule or I would mention his name, but this guy was awesome. He is everything that you would look for in a rodeo announcer. Nice drawl, semi-big gut, welcoming, wasn’t scared to throw in a God shout out, entertaining – even funny at times, and more than anything he was full of Texas pride which is our next topic.

Texas Pride
I’ve traveled all over our great nation and you can’t help but have preconceived notions about certain areas. For example, what do you expect when you travel to New Orleans, Philly, LA, NY, Chicago, or Texas? Whether you like it or not, and I do, Texans are thought of as prideful, sometimes cocky, about our State. It was evident by the words they spoke, references, flags, skits, and history displayed that this was THE Rodeo you should attend. I really enjoyed that. A sense of camaraderie and self confidence lathered with pride. The kids may not have understood what it meant, but they will be immersed in our Texas culture. It’s special and should be passed on to our children.

Professional
From a Project Manager’s perspective, they did a heckuva job keeping the pace moving. This was no more evident than the fact that Drew stayed engaged the entire 2.5 hours…risk mitigated. Event to event, entertainment while they setup barrels, etc…, and technology to score riders kept everyone engaged and ready for more rodeo.

Father
From a Dad’s perspective, it was great just to spend time with the kids and introduce them to something new. I remember going to the Trader’s Village rodeo as a young boy. The Trader’s Village rodeo wasn’t quite on the same scale, but it was time spent with the family and my brothers. It was my introduction cowboys and a chance to see people compete. It was quite a different perspective as a kid, but as a father taking the kids, it was meaningful to help create new memories and introduce them to a different lifestyle or culture. I really enjoyed seeing them being excited about something they haven’t seen before. Good things…

To conclude, please go to the Rodeo. It is only in town for a couple weeks of the year, but completely worth the time and money. Rodeo tickets provide access to the nearby museums; there is a petting zoo, a full blown carnival, cow milking, and various other events to participate in and observe. Spend some time with the family and continue to pass along the Texas tradition…our family certainly will make this a yearly endeavor. Your amigo, Brian Stewart